What Is the Survival Rate for Pancreatic Cancer?

The survival rate for pancreatic cancer is approximately 62 percent for 6 months after diagnosis and 31 percent for one year after initial diagnosis, according to Cancer Treatment Centers of America. The rate decreases dramatically after one year, with a survival rate of 10 percent after two years.

Considered to be incredibly difficult to treat, pancreatic cancer has low survival rates because the tumor spreads quickly to other parts of the body, states the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. If surgery for the removal of the tumor is conducted, a patient can be expected to survive for 18 to 20 months. Survival rates depend on the size of the tumor, the experience of the medical staff performing the surgery and how much the cancer has progressed.